The Internet and other networks have provided users with the ability to exchange information, data, and content in a rapid and efficient manner. However, it is important for such users to be able to exchange such information securely and privately. The use of digital certificates can foster such secure and private exchanges. Digital certificates can utilize digital signatures to bind together a public key with a particular identity and can serve as means to verify that the public key belongs to a particular individual/identity. In public key infrastructures (PKIs), the digital signature can be of a certificate authority (CA), which can issue the digital certificates that contain the public key, the identity of the owner, and other relevant information. Enabling customization of certificate acquisition settings can provide increased functionality and monitoring certificate acquisitions can provide relevant status information regarding a particular certificate.